College isn't like high school. Courses are tougher, instructors are more demanding, and you're expected to excel academically at the same time you're trying to master the whole adulting thing. It may have been easy enough to ace tests when you were living at home, but it's not always so easy when you're the one responsible for getting yourself up on time, making sure you're eating the right things, and doing your own laundry.
If you should find yourself struggling to meet progress standards, you're not alone. It takes time to learn how to balance your life with your studies, and for some, that process takes longer than others.
The LLF Law Firm and the Education Law Team understand the pressures you face. They know that you've worked hard to get to this point, and they believe you deserve every opportunity to succeed. If your GPA has slipped a bit, and you're worried about the prospect of academic probation, suspension, or even dismissal, know that there's help available. The LLF Law Firm are on your side and ready to fight for your future.
Academic Progression at the University of Pittsburgh
Success at the University of Pittsburgh starts with knowing just what's expected of you. Every school and college at Pitt maintains its own academic standing policy, designed to let you know exactly what you need to do to progress from one semester to the next. Most resemble the policy at Pitt's largest school, the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. According to that policy, “good” standing requires
- You maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average
- You earn at least a 2.0 GPA each term
- You complete—not attempt, but complete—at least 12 credits each term
Meeting all three criteria means you remain in good standing. What happens if you don't meet them?
- Academic Alert: If your cumulative GPA should fall between 1.5 and 1.99, you are issued an academic alert. Alerts are designed to let you know you're in danger of falling behind.
- Academic Probation: If you can't raise your GPA during a semester on Alert, you're then placed on academic probation. You can also receive probation for earning a GPA below 1.5, even if you haven't been issued an alert.
- Academic Suspension: If your term GPA should fall below 2.0 while you're on probation, you are then subject to suspension from the university. You cannot apply credit from any other institution to your degree while you are suspended. Suspension lasts for a full academic year, and you must apply for reinstatement before you return. If you're readmitted, you must also develop an Academic Success Plan, and when you're readmitted, you remain on probation until you can raise your cumulative GPA above 2.0.
- Dismissal: If, on returning from suspension, you fail to earn a 2.0 term GPA while on probation, you are then dismissed entirely from the University of Pittsburgh.
Dealing With Academic Standing Decisions
Unfortunately, the academic standing policies at the University of Pittsburgh don't offer any formal way to challenge a standing decision. That is if your GPA should fall, the school assumes you have plenty of chances to get back on track, and your status is not open to debate.
Again, the LLF Law Firm and the Education Law Team understand that your situation may not be so black and white. They've worked to develop a series of alternative approaches to dealing with the threat of academic sanctions, approaches your academic advisor might not tell you about.
· Some faculty are open to the possibility of grade negotiation. Maybe your final exam score was higher than your course grade, for instance. You may be able to convince some instructors to reconsider that course grade. Or, you might simply try asking a professor to reconsider all of your work from a semester. Sometimes when they look at your papers and exams in isolation, apart from other students in your course, they can discover positive elements they missed before.
- Likewise, some faculty are open to assigning extra credit or makeup assignments. If you only need a few points to get a higher grade, you might try asking if there's work you can do to earn those points.
- It sometimes happens that an instructor simply makes a mistake, either in entering your grades or in calculating them. If you're keeping careful track of your work, it may be relatively easy to convince them to submit a grade change request.
- If your academic deficiencies are the result of extenuating circumstances like a family emergency or a long-term illness, you can appeal directly to your school or college dean for more time to improve.
- Low grades can be the result of an academic misconduct allegation. You have the right to challenge these allegations. In fact, even if you admit to making a mistake, you can protest the harshness of the penalty your instructor has assigned.
- If you feel your instructor has mistreated you in any way, you can and should bring this to the attention of the instructor's department head or the dean of your school or college.
The LLF Law Firm Team won't just help you decide which strategies are best in your particular case. They'll also help you to develop and execute a plan. They know who to talk to and what to say. They know what evidence is most compelling and can coach you in negotiation strategies. Finally, they're also adept at putting together appeals if you've been suspended.
Premier Education Attorney-Advisors - LLF Law Firm Education Law Team
Students sometimes ask: how exactly is an attorney-advisor supposed to help me with academic issues? It's a fair question. It's not like you're on trial for shoplifting. You need help with your grades. That's normally a matter of studying harder or finding a tutor.
As the information on this page suggests, though, succeeding in college is often as much about navigating bureaucracy as it is about writing papers and taking exams. No one knows more about dealing with bureaucracy than attorneys, and no one knows more about dealing with educational bureaucracy than the LLF Law Firm and the Education Law Team. That team was assembled specifically to handle student conduct and academic progress issues.
The LLF Law Firm Team are on your side. They understand that no one is perfect, and they're committed to the idea that a few mistakes shouldn't keep you from earning your degree and going on to a successful career. They'll fight to make sure you're treated fairly and that you get all the rights you deserve. You've worked hard to get to this point. Don't let that hard work go to waste. To find out more about how you can fight dismissal, contact the LLF Law Firm today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
